


oh sehun's bottomless fruitless magical investigation

by temposh



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: (but platonically) - Freeform, Falling In Love, Gen, baker!wizard!chanyeol, brotherly junmyeon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:28:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26655886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/temposh/pseuds/temposh
Summary: the scene begins withoh sehun:tired, weary, and 100% ready to eat some cake at jongdae's birthday party.the antagonists:park chanyeol, the snap of his fingers, and some self-lighting birthday candles.
Relationships: Oh Sehun & Park Chanyeol
Comments: 10
Kudos: 15
Collections: MONTH 1 : MAGIC





	oh sehun's bottomless fruitless magical investigation

"Back again, huh?"

The cute little bell he had installed above his bakery door rings about a hundred times a day, but this customer in particular comes in at the same time everyday like clockwork. The sound of his steps as he approaches the counter are always the same, the same glasses perched on his head, the same strands of hair sticking out in random places as a result.

The stool screeches along the wooden floor as Sehun settles into it, leaning onto the counter with a sigh. (It was a Monday.) 

"What's that ' _again_ ' for?" The younger man asks, turning his head just a bit so he could look up at the baker.

Chanyeol shrugs. "I'm surprised you've kept up this little routine." Like magic, a pen is suddenly in his hand and a notepad in the other. "So, what'll it be today?"

He hums, the vibrations muffled as Sehun stopped listening halfway through and continued his rousing activity of putting his head on the counter. "Three snickerdoodles," he says to the wooden counter. Chanyeol just barely hears him.

* * *

It started at Jongdae's birthday party; a cake, few candles, and no lighter to be found. 

Sehun had never met Chanyeol before then. Apparently he was Kyungsoo's roommate, and Kyungsoo was friends with Jongdae, so when it came to putting together his surprise birthday party Chanyeol was added to their group chat as their resident baker. 

**ksoo:** Chanyeol makes really delicious cakes  
**ksoo:** And also wouldn't stop bothering me about adding him in here  
**loey:** but I love parties!! And baking!! so you HAVE to let me help!!  
**myeonie:** OH Chanyeol! You're the baker from downtown, right? Your cakes are like magic T__T

Sehun thought nothing of it. 

Then on the day of the surprise party, he's sent into the kitchen. "His cakes are really good; we should go to his bakery sometime," Junmyeon said, shooing him away to the kitchen so Sehun can get a look at the baking wizard at work. 

"This looks really nice," Sehun remarks as he hovers over Chanyeol making the finishing touches, "You said it was what... a banana creme cake?" 

Chanyeol nods with a smile, carefully making sure the last of the whipped cream swirls looked identical, "Yeah, Jongin suggested that flavor so..." When he's finished, Chanyeol snaps his fingers above the candles.

Two flames automatically appear on the candle wicks.

Sehun blinks. Once, then twice. 

"Did you... _light_ that?"

"Yeah." The baker's head tilts. As if suddenly lighting a few candles on fire was normal. "Why?"

"With like... a _lighter_?"

He smiles at him. Sehun feels a bit scared for his life. Chanyeol picks up the cake and turns on his heel to leave, leaving Sehun and his question with no answers.

* * *

"I swear to _God_ , Kyungsoo. Your roommate is a fucking wizard," he mutters to Kyungsoo as they sit in the corner together eating the cake an hour later.

"One, don't talk with your mouth open," Kyungsoo begins after a quick swallow, "And two, he is a pretty good baker."

Sehun shakes his head to and fro. Why can't anyone understand that Chanyeol can do _magic_? Did none of them care and all _secretly_ have powers and Sehun was the only normal one? Or did they all decide Sehun lost his marbles years ago? Half an hour ago he ran into Junmyeon blabbering on about Chanyeol and the magic candles, and Junmyeon merely Googled " _automatic candles_ " and proposed that the baker was simply messing with him. 

"No, no, I— I mean, he _is_ a _really_ good baker— but doesn't anyone else find it weird how he managed to bake this all in _thirty minutes_? And how did I see him light up a candle without a _lighter_?"

Kyungsoo shrugs.

"You know there's candles that do that themselves, right?"

* * *

**GOOGLE SEARCH**  
_candles that automatically light up by themselves  
candles that don't need lighters  
fake magic fire tricks  
how to know you're being played  
fire magic  
fire wizards  
Park Bakery  
"how to know your acquaintance is magical" _

* * *

_Ding_!

"Chanyeol! It's us, Junmyeon and Sehun!" The older walks in with Sehun in tow, holding his hand tight enough like they were friendly handcuffs and the key to unlocking him was telling Junmyeon his hands were really sweaty. A week after Jongdae's birthday party, Junmyeon circled off a specific date in his calendar— a day he and Sehun were both free from studies and work. If Sehun was so interested in how Chanyeol did his " _magic_ ," per say, Junmyeon might as well drag him along when he's ordering a cake for another party. 

Chanyeol popped up from behind the counter like a bunny, pen and notepad in hand along with the widest grin on Earth that even his ears tugged a bit backwards. "Junmyeon! And Sehun! Did you want to order something, or...?" 

With Junmyeon distracted, prattling off about how he wanted a key lime pie cake with hints of lemon sprinkled throughout, his grip on Sehun's hand loosened until he was finally free. He took the liberty to stare at the treats Chanyeol had on display; they were all... _normal looking_. Like better versions of the scones you'd reluctantly buy at Starbucks because the nearest bakery is too out of reach. 

But then again, what wizard blows their cover by naming their treats after... magic-sounding objects? (He wonders, for a moment, what are magical objects. A dragon? Surely no one would buy a dragon cookie. Perhaps that's a good, non-magical reason as to why Chanyeol lacks a dragon cookie in his selection.) 

" _Oh_!" Junmyeon exclaims, pulling Sehun out of his dragon-filled thoughts, "Sehun started his first day at work yesterday, Chanyeol! It's an apprenticeship at the studio uptown."

Chanyeol's face lights up almost instantly, back to the wide grin and the happy ears and his bright eyes. "You did? I have to give you something as congrats, Sehun."

He waves it off— "No no, it's really nothing big..."

Before he could protest any further, a muffin disappears from under the counter and reappears in front of him, with a candle daintly placed in its center. Chanyeol snaps once more, and the wick lights up. (Still no lighter.)

"Congratulations, Sehun!"

He might faint.

* * *

The crinkle of brown paper in front of him lets Sehun know his order is ready. His hand slowly moves forward as it blindly searches for the bag, the crinkle coming back when he crunches it in his grasp. 

He sits up in his stool. Nothing good will come out of a ruined posture on a Monday morning, after all. "Thanks." 

At some point he's started to wonder why he began this routine, the daily visit to Chanyeol's bakery; it was out of the way from his route to work, and not exactly close to his apartment either. The cookies were amazing, sure, but he often tossed them in Jongin's direction the second he came in for work, only ever eating one snickerdoodle himself. 

He tells himself it's because he wants to get to the bottom of the mystery that is Park Chanyeol. But what would he even do with that information? Invite him whenever he goes hiking so if night falls he'll have an easy campfire? 

It was much more enjoyable just talking to him, asking him about recipes and learning more about Kyungsoo and hearing his customer horror stories that are inevitable as he works in the food business. Sehun smoothes out the bag he previously crushed to munch on a snickerdoodle, only to find candles inside attached to a battery.

They feel like plastic as three of them roll in Sehun's hand. "Are these... _self-lighting candles_?"

Chanyeol laughs. It's the grin, the ears, the eyes shining again. A triple threat, he thinks. "Junmyeon recommended that I use them, since it'll look like I'm doing magic." 

He figures spending another few weeks trying to figure out Chanyeol wouldn't be so bad at all.


End file.
